Tech Down To Two Bowl Possibilities

Hokies Will Play In Either Detroit Or San Francisco

December 08, 2002|By DAVID TEEL Daily Press

MIAMI — Virginia will play West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl, while Virginia Tech is headed to either the San Francisco or Motor City Bowl.

Those dominoes fell Saturday evening after Washington State defeated UCLA to earn the Pacific 10 championship and an automatic spot in the Bowl Championship Series. The Cougars' victory eliminated Notre Dame from the BCS, sent the Irish to the Gator Bowl and dropped West Virginia from the Gator to the Continental Tire.

The inaugural Continental Tire Bowl is Dec. 28 in Charlotte.

Virginia Tech's bowl destination, New Year's in San Francisco or Christmas in Detroit, was determined Thursday during a contingency vote conducted by Big East athletic directors. But neither of the affected teams, Virginia Tech and Boston College, learned the results until late Saturday night or early this morning.

Sensing that Notre Dame might fall from the BCS, and that the Gator Bowl would then exercise its option to select the Irish instead of a Big East team, Big East athletic directors crafted contingency plans Thursday. West Virginia, with rabid fans and a victory against Tech, was a natural for nearby Charlotte.

That left Tech and Boston College. Both prefer the Dec. 31 San Francisco Bowl against Air Force to the Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl against Toledo. During a conference call of seven Big East football athletic directors (Temple abstained), Tech's Jim Weaver and Boston College's Gene DeFilippo made their cases. Weaver argued that Tech deserved San Francisco based on its victory against Boston College. DeFilippo countered that head- to-head competition was ignored last season when the Gator Bowl chose Tech instead of conference runner-up Syracuse.

Weaver and DeFilippo hung up, and the remaining five ADs voted. As Tech departed south Florida on Saturday night following a 56-45 loss to No. 1 Miami, school officials remained uncertain of where the Hokies will play next.